Nobody's Journey
by Summoner of Dusk
Summary: After defeating Xemnas with Riku, Sora was able to finally return to Destiny Islands and be with his friends again. But soon after, the three received a letter from King Mickey. What happened, and why is Mickey so upset? SOxKA, ROxNA
1. Awakening

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The concepts and characters belong to SquareEnix and to Disney. I thank them humbly for allowing me to portray their characters in my story._

A/N:

_Yunie_: Hello everyone, and thank you for treading onto my Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction! You may remember that I tried previously to write a story about my own Kingdom Hearts character–although, considering the amount of reviews I got on the story (one for three chapters!) I decided it would be a lot more efficient to write about characters that you all know and love! So here it goes, another attempt at a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, brought to you by yours truly! I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading!

--

**Nobody's Journey**

**--**

Chapter One: Awakening

_Where... is this place?_

Roxas opened his eyes. Or at least, he thought he'd opened his eyes. Everything was dark. There was nothing around, no sounds save his own shallow breath. It felt as if space and time were nothing, as if he was floating in infinite nothing. As his eyes searched for any image, the fog that had clouded his mind started to fade.

_What happened...? Why am I...?_

His mind's eye played through everything it could remember: his playful summer with Hayner, Pence, and Olette; the strange happenings in Twilight Town, the thefts and the strange beings behind them; the recurring dreams of the boy with the spiky hair and his friends; the girl clad in white, who told him he shouldn't exist...

_That's right! Namine... And..._

A sudden light pierced through the infinite darkness, shocking Roxas from out of his trance.

"Sora...?"

Roxas blinked at the light, confused at the sound of his own voice. Why was that name the first out of his mouth? Then, it struck him. If he was here... where was Sora?

A soft female laugh echoed in the vast darkness, and a vague figure appeared, silhouetted against the gentle light. Roxas squinted his eyes to see, but the contrast was too great, and his eyes were not yet used to focusing.

"No, silly," the voice spoke kindly, without moving toward or away from Roxas. "I'm not Sora."

Roxas strained to focus on the figure, but it was getting progressively difficult to do so. He wanted to speak, to question her; however, with each passing second he lost the energy to do so. As the figure slowly approached him, Roxas's vision slowly faded to black...

--

The sun was shining brightly yet again on the gardens at Disney Castle. Another peaceful day, it seemed. The worlds were in order, and the proverbial villain had been stopped. It looked like it would be a wonderful day.

Queen Minnie sighed. At least, it _should_ be a wonderful day. But the Queen was spending it watching her husband pace back and forth across the library floor. The expression of distress pained her, but she knew nothing could be done. All she could do was stand there and watch him and wait.

"Your Majesties!"

A rough voice broke the tension and the Royal Court Magician, Donald Duck, burst into the library. Looking quite ruffled, the King's loyal subject bowed hastily and motioned toward the door, spewing out a long trail of garble. The Queen looked between the two of them, eager to understand the situation.

King Mickey stopped his pacing and looked to Donald, and a small, relieved smile crossed his face. He looked over his shoulder at the Queen.

"Don't worry, Minnie. Everything's going to be fine now," he assured her, then looked to Donald. "Let's go."

Donald gave a curt nod, and the two of them hurried off, leaving the Queen in the library. Minnie looked to the ceiling, folding her hands in prayer.

_Please... let him be right._

_--_

A/N:

_Yunie_: So, it was a little short, but think of this as a preview chapter! Hmm, what will happen next? Please tell me what you thought! Thank you very much.

Yunie


	2. Mission

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The concepts and characters belong to SquareEnix and to Disney. I thank them humbly for allowing me to portray their characters in my story._

_Yunie_: Hello again! After rereading the last chapter, I realized that it was a little bit too short! So I'm going to write more for you and hopefully it'll be more interesting. Thank you for reading thus far!

---------------------------------

**Nobody's Journey**

---------------------------------

_Chapter Two: Mission_

------A Few Days Ago------

Sora reclined against the paopu fruit tree with Riku, basking in the memorable rays of the island sun. After so many days–how long had it been since he'd last seen his home?–it felt good to be back. And he couldn't have asked for a better outcome. He grinned widely, gazing out at the setting sun.

"Nothing's changed, huh?"

Riku's voice, instead of startling him, eased into Sora's consciousness. He let out a contented sigh.

"Nope. Nothing will."

A thoughtful silence fell upon the two before Riku spoke again.

"What a small world," he mused, keeping his eyes on the horizon.

"But," Sora added, smirking, if only to himself, "part of one that's much bigger."

"Yeah..."

That same silence enveloped the two as they sank into their thoughts. A few moments passed, and suddenly Sora looked over his shoulder at his friend, his expression reflecting his thoughts.

"Hey Riku... What do you think it was–the door to the light?"

Riku chuckled softly at Sora's question, hopping down from his perch on the tree and turning to face the Keyblade Master. He extended an arm and prodded Sora in the chest, smiling.

"This."

Sora blinked, looking from his friend to his chest, then back again.

"This?" he repeated, placing a hand over the spot Riku had touched.

"Yeah," Riku assured him, his smile reflected in his icy blue eyes. "It's always closer than you think."

Sora returned his gaze, and as understanding found him, a smile crossed his face. At that moment, Kairi's voice echoed across the water.

"Sora! Riku!"

Sora whipped around to see Kairi approaching with some kind of old bottle in her hands. The two boys came to meet her, and she bent over for a moment to catch her breath before continuing.

"Hey," Sora greeted her, wearing a confused expression. "What's up?"

Having regained her composure, Kairi lifted the bottle in her hands for Sora to take.

"Look."

Sora cast his attention now to the bottle–there was some sort of rolled up paper inside. But, what was this? His eyes widened as they passed over the mouse insignia.

"From the king?"

Sora snatched the bottle from Kairi's hands and tore out the letter, unfurling it at once. As Sora's eyes passed over the familiar handwriting, the three friends all huddled around together to read the message from the king.

---------------------------------

Sora waited for the hiss of hydraulics to fade before stepping lightly out of the gummi ship that the King had sent for the three friends. He turned and helped Kairi descend as Riku hopped out as well, casting his eyes around the Disney Castle garage for the first time.

"So this is Disney Castle...?" Riku commented, his eyes landing on Sora. Sora gave an affirmative nod, but when he opened his mouth to respond...

"SORA!!"

A high-pitched, scratchy voice erupted from the entrance, and Donald Duck burst into the garage, with the King at his heels. Sora, Riku, and Kairi soon found themselves smothered in hugs by both of their hosts, and the greetings lasts several minutes. Once the group had composed themselves, Sora spoke.

"Your Majesty, we got your letter. What exactly happened?"

The King's happy expression faded, and he motioned to the three of them.

"Come. We'll discuss this in the library."

With that Mickey started out of the garage, and with worried glances between them, the three friends and Donald followed.

Queen Minnie looked up as the group entered, and seemed purely shocked to see the three residents of Destiny Islands standing before her.

"Why... hello!" She greeted them uncertainly, casting an uneasy glance toward her husband.

Sora's eyes were also on the King.

"Your Majesty?"

Mickey had taken to pacing once again, forming the easiest way to spill the news to his friends. Riku, Sora, and Kairi all watched him expectantly. Finally, Mickey stopped, and turned toward the group.

"Sora. Riku. Kairi." As he addressed them, they each nodded at their name. Mickey hesitated before continuing. "...You all remember the World That Never Was...right?"

The three paled.

"What about it...?" Sora spoke softly.

Mickey sighed and looked to the ceiling.

"There was a room there... called the 'Proof of Existence.' Do you remember?"

Sora and Riku exchanged glances. Sure they remembered. That room seemed almost like...

"The graveyard...?" Riku whispered, voicing Sora's thoughts. Mickey nodded gravely.

"Yes. Each gravestone marking the existence of each of the thirteen members of the Nobody's Organization XIII."

"What about this room, Your Majesty?" Kairi inquired softly.

"Ansem the Great and I have studied for a long time these gravestones. He believes that they actually serve as containers for the Nobodies once the bodies perish. Like... the soul that once belonged to the Nobody finds a home in the grave. We haven't actually had proof of this until just recently... and I'm afraid we have very bad news."

The three leaned forward in anticipation, expecting the worst. Mickey looked at each of them in turn, his eyes landing and resting on Sora.

"Sora... your Nobody, whom you thought to be inside of you..."

Sora blinked.

"Roxas? What about him?"

"...Can you feel him?"

Sora hesitated, and his eyes lost their focus slightly as he searched inside of him for that warmth that he had come to know as "Roxas." But... that warmth was gone.

"He's... but, how?"

"Roxas... was the thirteenth member of Organization XIII, and thus had a grave all his own in the Proof of Existence. Ansem and I had yet to verify if his soul was at rest as well, but..." Mickey paused, closing his eyes. "It seems someone has meddled with the graves."

A collective gasp rose around the room, shared by everyone except for Sora, who stared at the floor, still searching frantically for Roxas's warmth. Mickey's eyes rested gently on Sora.

"I'm sorry, Sora. I didn't know that this could happen, but... somehow, someone has devised a way to release the Nobodies from their prisons and, in a sense, revive them. I think that Roxas is..."

Sora looked up slowly, and his face spread into a grin.

"Does this mean... Roxas is alive? I can actually meet him?"

Mickey blinked, slightly taken aback at the boy's excitement.

"I-I suppose so..." he stammered, then shook his head. "Roxas's grave, I'm afraid isn't the only one that's been meddled with. I'm unsure at the moment if any of those villains have been set free of if they even pose a threat, but we can't be too careful."

Riku nodded, eyeing the still ecstatic Sora.

"Then, what should we do, Your Majesty?"

Mickey smiled in confidence.

"Sora. Riku. Kairi."

The three looked up, and with the King beaming at them, felt a little bit more confident themselves.

"Together, we shall revisit the worlds in search of mischief in order to stop the Organization from reforming. This is our mission."

With slow grins, the three nodded solemnly.

"Roger!"

---------------------------------

_Yunie:_ The plot thickens!! I hope that I haven't made too much of a jump in reasoning, but please take my theory for what it's worth. Who knows if something like this is really possible in the KH world or not? Thanks for reading and I hope you leave me some reviews!


	3. Appearance

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The concepts and characters belong to SquareEnix and to Disney. I thank them humbly for allowing me to portray their characters in my story._

_A/N_: I'm back again--after a very long pause in writing--with chapter three! I've actually been through multiple options for how to start this chapter and how to proceed telling my story, but I've finally arrived at a conclusion and am ready to present it to you.

Before I begin I want to give a quick shout-out to AngelicCrossplay, this story's very first reviewer! Thank you for giving me encouragement! Also, thank you to Darkmoon Fleur, Adrian Winter, LambSam, broken0dream, and AshleyPorter for the additional praise. Because of your thoughtful words I have been inspired to continue my story! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And now, without further ado, on to the story!

---------------------------------

**Nobody's Journey**

---------------------------------

_Chapter Three: Appearance_

When Roxas opened his eyes, he found himself propped against a wall in a pure white hallway. The color of the walls, floor, and ceiling alike blinded him momentarily as he adjusted to the newfound light of the outside world. His memory of that dark room seemed like a mere dream compared to the harshness of his new surroundings. How had he gotten here, wherever "here" was?

"Ah, you're awake? About time!"

Roxas almost jumped out of his skin at the loud, familiar voice that greeted him. Getting up and brushing himself off, he turned to face his old friend.

"Axel?" Roxas blinked in confusion at his red-haired accomplice. "Why are you here? I thought you..."

"You thought I what? Died?" Axel scoffed jokingly. "There isn't an army of Dusks anywhere that could take me down!" He smirked at Roxas, tapping his left temple with an index finger. "Got it memorized?"

Roxas felt a relaxed smile spread across his face at the infamous catchphrase. Hearing those words brought back memories of their time together in the Organization, days that seemed so very long ago now. It was strange, though. Not only were those far-off days crystal clear, but Roxas could also recall with perfect clarity the memories that had been instilled in him during his time in the fabricated Twilight Town, as well as everything that he had witnessed through the eyes of Sora. It was as if Roxas had three completely separate sets of memories, each connected to three completely different sides of himself.

"Anyway, as far as why I'm _here_," Axel continued, scratching his chin in contemplation, "I know about as much as you. One minute, I'm having a nice little nap in the darkness, and the next thing I know, somebody turns on the lights and gets me up outta bed. Before I can come completely to my senses, I'm here." He waved his hand around vaguely. "I seem to remember someplace that looked kind of like a graveyard, but that's about it."

Suddenly Roxas recalled the soft, feminine voice that had brought light into the vast darkness that held him prisoner.

_No, silly. I'm not Sora._

"Who else is here?" Roxas asked quietly.

"If you're talking about the scum from the Organization, we're it." Axel answered coolly, stretching his arms and folding them behind his fiery mane of hair. "But we're definitely not alone here."

"I knew it! That girl!" Roxas looked up at his friend, urgency in his bright blue eyes. "Who is she? Is she here?"

"Woah, slow down there, buddy!" Axel held his hands up in an effort to calm the blonde Nobody. "I don't know who you're talking about, but there is a certain 'girl' here that I'm pretty sure you know."

Before Roxas had time to comprehend Axel's ambiguity, the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. Spinning around abruptly, Roxas stopped short when he realized just whose footsteps those were.

"Hello, Roxas."

Namine stood before him, smiling warmly, looking just how she had in his memories. The last time he had laid eyes on her, he was already a part of Sora. How did the two of them end up here, now, with bodies and minds once again theirs to control?

Roxas stumbled forward and closed the space between them, stopping before Namine and taking her hands into his. He looked into her eyes, concern mixing with delight in his expression.

"Namine..." he started, searching for words. "What happened? What are you doing here? What am _I_ doing here? What happened to Sora and Kairi!?"

"Sora and Kairi are perfectly fine," Namine assured him, amusement lighting her features. "Don't you remember? They're existing happily together on their island."

"Then why aren't we with them there?" Roxas demanded. "What's going on?"

"We are needed, Roxas. We were brought to this place because someone needs help. And we're the only ones who can help her."

"'Her?'" Axel repeated, raising a thin red eyebrow. "Again with the 'her?' Who are we talking about here?"

Namine turned her attention to the hotheaded Nobody. But before she had a chance to answer him, another voice cut in.

"The one who has awakened you all, of course."

Roxas' eyes widened as he recognized that voice in an instant. He spun to face its owner, and couldn't believe what he saw—a petite figure in one of the old Organization XIII robes, a figure completely unfamiliar to him. She couldn't possibly have been an old member, or perhaps his replacement once he betrayed them?

The peculiar thing about her, however, wasn't her clothing. Behind her, Roxas could vaguely make out the outline of what looked like wings. Not those of a bird, but more of an insect, translucent and glistening, but shaped like those of a butterfly perhaps, or a dragonfly, or some crazy mix of the two. They seemed detached from her body, and yet still one with her form.

She reached to pull down her hood, revealing a childlike and yet beautiful face, thinly pointed ears, and indigo-colored hair that fell down just past her shoulder blades. Her fuchsia eyes watched Roxas brightly, and her pink lips widened into a pixyish grin.

Just who was this girl, and what could she possibly need from a trio of Nobodies, of all things? His head spun as he searched for a clue, something to make sense of it all. But there was nothing. Nothing except the three of them here, living, breathing, and that voice... childlike, suiting her image, and yet with a hidden maturity that expressed knowledge beyond her years. Was this really the girl that woke these three Nobodies from their slumber?

"Roxas, I'm glad to finally meet you." The girl set her hands on her hips casually, her grin widening, exposing her teeth. "We're going to be good friends, I just know it. You can call me Miki."

---------------------------------

Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Mickey stood together, each with identical expressions of utter shock.

Leaving Disney Castle, the four had made for Radiant Garden with plans to consort with Leon and the gang about the new development in the World that Never Was. In the meantime, Donald and Goofy were to track down Yen Sid and head over to the Proof of Existence to study the graves and gather evidence. It was a troubling thought, to think that the Keyblade would fail at keeping those terrifying villains sealed away for good. And with Ansem the Wise gone, it would take a lot more than a mere wizard to come up with any answers, no matter how wise that wizard might be.

Hence the king's desire to meet with Leon. Ever since the discovery of Ansem's old Master Computer, and with the help of Tron, Leon had done a great deal of research. He had become extremely knowledgeable in matters of the heart. Surely Leon would have some kind of idea as to what had occurred at the Proof of Existence. Little did our heroes know of the mess that awaited them at their destination.

"Why don't we ever catch a break...?" Sora whined, casting his eyes on the thousands of Dusks that swarmed the valley that led to the castle. It was like déjà vu, except in white instead of black. What the heck were those pesks doing here?! Did the fact that he defeated Xemnas mean _nothing?_ "Why do they always come back!?"

"There's no end to it, is there?" Kairi sighed, reaching for Sora's arm.

"This must be the work of whoever broke into the Proof of Existence." Mickey scowled at the army of Dusks below them. "I hope everyone's okay."

"Take Kairi and go check on them, Your Majesty." Riku flexed his fingers, and his dark Keyblade fizzled into existence in his hand. "Sora and I can take these guys on."

"Good idea, Riku," Sora grinned, summoning his own Keyblade. "I've been itching for a workout myself."

After giving Kairi a reassuring squeeze, Sora watched as she ran off into the town with the king. Once she was out of sight Sora nodded at Riku, and the two of them leapt from their rocky perch and directly into the swarm.


	4. Initiative

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The concepts and characters belong to SquareEnix and to Disney. I thank them humbly for allowing me to portray their characters in my story._

A/N: It's Chapter Four!! I actually did a little bit of research for this chapter in order to keep all of the facts straight. Yes, yes, I give you some answers in this chapter... kind of. Not really. And a little bit of Sora/Riku?? WHAT?? ...Just kidding. Kind of. What? Yes! On with the story!!!! [And please excuse my craziness. (^^)Y]

Oh, a quick side note: Thank you for all the lovely reviews!! And to people like **kit572**and **faithwolff14** who alert/favorite/READ the story without reviewing, shame on you! Let me know what you like and don't like! Let me know how to improve my writing or how much my writing PWNS! Give me a hello, anything! Please? Thank you! Now, let's get on with it!

* * *

**Nobody's Journey**

* * *

_Chapter Four: Initiative_

Leon hovered over Cid's shoulder, watching intently as Cid typed away at the old dinosaur of a computer back at the base. He just couldn't figure out why the Nobodies were back in town, and it was eating away at him. Did the walls between the worlds mean nothing to them? Did Sora's Keyblade have absolutely no power over them? Or had the Organization somehow regained control and were now coming back into power?

With the Nobodies appearing at the castle, Leon had lost his precious access to the super computer. Without access, he had no answers, and he was extremely irritable because of it. On top of it all, there had been no word of warning from the king. Was Radiant Garden the only world the Nobodies chose to infiltrate? Not possible.

"Leon, stop that damned pacing!" Cid burst, spinning around in his chair. "And give me some damned space, for Pete's sake. I can't concentrate with you breathing down my neck all the time!"

Muttering an apology, Leon stalked to the window, crossing his arms across his chest in frustration. It was then that he caught sight of two familiar figures approaching the headquarters in much haste.

"Leon!!" King Mickey's voice rang through the air as he and Kairi burst through the front door. "There are Nobodies attacking your castle!"

Leon stared blankly at the king.

"Thanks for the warning, Your Majesty, but you're a little late." He tilted his head toward Cid. "We've been working on that one for a few days now."

"Where are Yuffie and the others?" Kairi asked, her eyes scanning the room.

"They're all out scouting," Leon explained, crossing over to look over Cid's shoulder yet again and ignoring the dirty look Cid shot him once he did. "We're all trying to figure out why those things are back and what they want with that castle."

Mickey watched Leon's expression shift from indifference to impatience as apparently Cid's research had failed to shed any light onto the situation. It looked like Leon had even less of an idea as to where this all started than the king did, himself. The king sighed, understanding how stressed and worried Leon must have felt this whole time.

"I wish we had some answers for you." Mickey offered a smile to his old friend. "But we might have a lead."

Leon's eyes shot over to the king, a spark of hope lighting his features. Leave it to the king to come bringing a light to lead their way. He gestured for Mickey and Kairi to take a seat, and he leaned against the desk beside Cid so that he could still peak at the computer screen every once in a while, much to Cid's discontent.

"All right," he said once the two were comfortable, "enlighten me."

* * *

Sora leapt backwards, panting heavily as he slid the back of his hand across his sweating forehead. The mass of Nobodies swarming around him seemed to have neither beginning nor end. Mustering what felt like the last dregs of his energy, he clutched his Keyblade before him and shot off a few rounds of Firaga, vanquishing the front line of Dusks in an explosion of fiery magic. It didn't even seem to scratch the surface. Sora smirked at the challenge. Sure, it had been a year or two since he'd last had a chance to make use of his combat skills, but it never crossed his mind he'd be back in the middle of an endless army battling for his life. The familiar rush of adrenaline set his every limb ablaze with excitement, and his exhaustion was nothing at all.

With a soft thud, Riku landed beside his friend, wearing a similar kind of electrified expression. He shot Sora a half smile and tossed him an Ether.

"You're more out of shape than I thought," he teased, adding a playful elbow prod. Sora stuck out a tongue in response but gratefully downed the item and felt instantly refreshed.

"I'm surprised you even have any medicine with you," he remarked as he tossed the empty bottle behind him. "It's not like we expected to be facing off with any Nobodies anytime soon."

"Are you kidding?" Riku readjusted his grip on his Keyblade as he spoke. "I know the King has good intentions and all, but trust me, any news from him is usually bad."

Sora laughed along with his friend, and together they darted back into the fray. Sora was aware of Riku at his side despite the smoke from vanishing Dusks clouding his vision. Sora swung his Keyblade easily, as if he had done so every day since he saved Kingdom Hearts for the second time, and his weapon cut through the Nobodies as if they were nothing more than air. As long as Riku fought by his side, Sora had a good feeling they'd be able to clear this impossible mass of Dusks before too long. After all, they had taken on much worse together. They had survived Kingdom Hearts together. They could certainly eliminate this useless swarm together, too.

The surrounding group of Dusks vanquished, a kind of clearing formed around the two Keyblade wielders. Sora took the chance to look over at his friend. Yes, he was certainly grateful that his friend was back in his life. After nearly two years of world-hopping, Heartless-slaying, and general good-deed-doing, all the while searching for Riku, it was admittedly strange to fight alongside him again. It almost felt surreal, as if in an instant he would vanish again.

Sora blinked out of his thoughts when Riku caught his gaze and gave him a quizzical look. Sora flashed a sheepish smile and shook his head. There was no need to say anything embarrassing; Riku would just tease him about it later. Before Riku had a chance to ask, Sora took off toward the next wave of Nobodies, Keyblade at the ready. It didn't take long for Riku to follow suit, and within instants the two were completely absorbed in their destructive dance.

No, there was definitely no need to say anything at all.

* * *

The view from the great glass windows of the Grey Area seemed just as Roxas had remembered. However, one monumental sight was missing: Kingdom Hearts itself. As Roxas stood beside the glass and took in the dark night sky, his mind drifted to that faraway day, a day he saw through Sora's eyes. Yes, he remembered it quite clearly, that brilliantly shimmering door that led the way to the heart of all worlds. And inside, the master of Organization XIII, Xemnas himself, waited, with all of the wisdom and power of the great Kingdom Hearts at his fingertips. And yet, even there at the heart of hearts, with the countless hearts that Roxas—and even Sora, though unwittingly—collected for the cause of becoming "Somebodies," it seemed to all be for naught. Xemnas was defeated as nothing more than the Nobody he was. The hearts he had taken into himself to aid his rampage had done nothing to change that fact. Involuntarily, Roxas released a long sigh. Was it really an impossible feat, to be somebody?

Well, according to Miki's logic, it may not be. Roxas closed his eyes thought back to their earlier conversation. He hadn't been surprised to find out that Miki was a Nobody, just as they all were. What was surprising, however, was how similar her proposal had been to the driving goal of the Organization. As expected, it had made Axel pretty angry.

"Where have you been, lady?" Axel had barked. "It doesn't matter how many hearts you collect, it won't do you any good. We're not supposed to exist! No amount of useless fighting is going to change that! We can't just keep taking hearts hoping that one of them is a match and makes us human. Tough luck, but it's just not going to work!"

"Axel has a point," Roxas added softly, glancing between his friend and the winged newcomer. "Even when Xemnas had managed to create Kingdom Hearts, he never became a person. There wasn't a heart in there that changed anything."

Despite their opposition, Miki let a smile draw across her face. She hovered across from the sofa where the two boys sat together, legs crossed neatly before her. When Roxas finished his argument, she raised a slender finger and waved it at them. Roxas and Axel exchanged suspicious glances but waited for Miki to refute them.

"Of course none of those hearts did any good," Miki agreed, her fuchsia eyes sparkling with some delight in knowing something they didn't. "It's because the heart he lost wasn't among them. I believe a man called Riku had it in his possession."

Roxas's eyes widened, and beside him Axel stiffened.

"You mean to tell me that it's still possible to go back to being human? If we find _our own hearts_!?" Axel jumped out of his seat before the words were out of his mouth, and he slammed his fists on the coffee table before him, bringing his eyes level with Miki's. The fairy girl responded with a mere smile and shrug, unafraid of his violence.

"It's a theory," she responded dismissively. "It's more plausible than your beloved Xemnas's plot was, though, don't you think? I mean think about it. Every person is unique, right? Why shouldn't their hearts be the same?" She held up that same finger pointedly as she explained her reasoning. "You need to find the heart that fits with the person."

_The heart that fits with the person..._ Roxas repeated her words in her head now as he gazed into the deep nothingness that made up the Castle that Never Was's view. He knew what a weight Miki's words had placed on Axel—Roxas was probably the only one who knew just how desperately Axel wanted to be complete again. But why couldn't Roxas share his anticipation? No, he knew why. His thoughts drifted to Sora, living, breathing Sora, who had once succumb to the darkness and been resurrected from his Heartless form. The heart that could make Roxas whole again was residing inside not a Heartless, but a human. There was no way for Roxas to become complete without merging with Sora as he had before. But was that really what he wanted, to live a life watching through another person's eyes?

Roxas's attention drifted to Namine, who sat across the room with Miki, conversing and laughing lightheartedly. He watched her as she spoke, without hearing, and wondered whether she felt the same way. Kairi was the same as Sora, after all. Would Namine be contented to be an observer for the rest of her life? Never to act on her own will again? If they were to return to completeness, they would be prisoners.

So their options were to live without a heart or without a will? Roxas sighed again and returned his gaze to the darkness outside the window. Soon that sky would be illuminated by Kingdom Hearts, and the search for Axel's and Miki's hearts would begin. The path ahead was a long one, and not necessarily one Roxas was excited to take, but he felt that he owed Axel that much at least. He wasn't sure what awaited them at the end of the road, nor whether he would end up as nothing more than a voice in Sora's head in the end, but he knew that there was nothing but to embark on this new journey.


	5. Departure

_Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts II. The concepts and characters belong to SquareEnix and to Disney. I thank them humbly for allowing me to portray their characters in my story._

A/N: First of all, I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO POST. But I'm back in a writing mood now and I hope to get a few more chapters up before I burn out! Thank you all for staying true and loyal to me even though I have a tendency to disappear for indeterminate lengths of time. Enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

**Nobody's Journey**

* * *

_Chapter Five: Departure_

"So you're trying to tell me that someone has found a way to bring Nobodies back into existence?" Leon frowned. "If they ever existed in the first place, anyway."

"And that's why they're appearing all over Radiant Garden?" Cid finished, leaning back in his office chair.

"Well, yes and no," Mickey muttered, scratching his head as he searched for a better way to explain his thoughts to them. "According to Yen Sid, as long as there is darkness in people's hearts, there will be Heartless, and as long as there are Heartless, there will be Nobodies."

"I know that. But that doesn't explain why they've all found their way here to the Castle," Leon pointed out.

"Yes," the king agreed quietly. "I believe they have grown in number greatly. Which means that there has been an influx of Heartless as well."

The room fell into silence as the depth of King Mickey's revelation fell upon them, and Kairi sighed to herself. Hadn't they just overcome the threat that was Xemnas? Yet again, it felt as though all the work they had done was for nothing. How many times would this cycle repeat itself? How much longer would Sora have to fight until the chain was broken? Her fists clenched in her lap at the thought. At least this time, Sora wouldn't be alone. He'd have her and Riku to help him. She was determined not to leave his side again.

"So what can we do?" Kairi broke the silence, her gaze resting on the king.

At that moment, the door swung open, and Sora and Riku, breathing heavily and supporting each other, entered the room, each wearing victorious grins. Kairi jumped up to greet them and helped them over to the couch to sit and rest. The poor boys looked simply exhausted, and yet they couldn't stop smiling. The thrill of wiping out an entire army of Dusks had yet to wane, it seemed.

"I don't think," Sora panted, "those Dusks will be a problem for a while."

"You can have," Riku heaved, "your castle back now."

Leon was out the door and down the street before Riku had even finished speaking.

* * *

It took perhaps ten minutes to cross through town and get to the castle basement where Leon could access Ansem's super computer. His fingers flew over the keyboard, logging on and immediately performing a database search for anything relating to the Proof of Existence or the revival of a Nobody. As countless windows flashed by at a speed impossible to follow, Leon's eyes scoured the screen, trying to pick out words or phrases to no avail. He was so completely absorbed that he didn't even notice the sound of footsteps approaching.

"The Dusks are gone," Cloud's voice rose from behind him, "and I saw Sora and Riku heading toward HQ earlier. What's going on here, Leon?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Leon muttered without looking away from the screen. "The king is here, too. He says that someone might be trying to resurrect Organization XIII."

Cloud crossed to Leon's side, raising his clear blue eyes to gaze at the object of Leon's attention.

"Why?"

Leon closed his eyes for a moment. Why? It was the single burning question in all of their minds. Why would someone want to bring those monsters back? The computer rang softly, signaling its search's completion, and Leon left Cloud's question hanging in favor of looking through his results. It seemed there was nothing more than rumors and speculations concerning reviving Nobodies, but there was one article that caught Leon's attention. He leaned forward as he read, and beside him Cloud followed suit, although not quite as attentive toward the article's importance as Leon seemed to be.

"So it is possible..." Leon breathed, bringing a hang to his chin in deep thought. Cloud looked from the article to Leon, his mouth curving into a frown.

"So technically, a Nobody can't be killed? Is that what this means?" Cloud crossed his arms over his chest.

"Technically a Nobody doesn't exist," Leon responded, breaking his eyes away from the computer screen to meet Cloud's gaze. "If they don't exist, then they can't be killed, right? Logically it makes sense."

"Then how do we get rid of them?"

Leon held Cloud's gaze for a moment longer before sighing and closing his eyes.

"That is a very, very good question."

* * *

Back at headquarters, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the king huddled around the table, pouring over the printouts that Leon had brought back from the castle. Sora's eyes flew over the words explaining the secret behind the Proof of Existence, unable to contain his excitement. He knew that it would spell trouble for everyone if any of the Organization were set loose again, but for some reason, he knew they all still rested in their graves. No, the lack of the warmth that he'd come to know as "Roxas" was proof enough that whomever had meddled with the gravestones hadn't intended to release evil out into the cosmos. But the question remained: why revive Roxas?

"This is just as I feared," Mickey sighed as he stepped away from the table. "I suppose the only choice we have is to destroy the gravestones."

"Would that change anything?" Riku asked, looking up from the table and at his old friend.

"I'm not sure," the king admitted. He crossed to the couch and sat down wearily. "There is one gravestone in the Proof of Existence that has been greatly damaged. I believe it belongs to one named Zexion." He met his friend's gaze. "If Ansem's theory proves true, and the gravestones indeed house fallen Nobodies' spirits, then Zexion's spirit has nowhere to rest."

"But what if someone were to restore his grave?" Kairi pondered. "Could he be revived then?"

"Who knows?" Mickey responded solemnly. His eyes then found Sora, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. Once the Keyblade Bearer felt the king's gaze, he met it, suddenly compelled to speak out.

"I don't think we have to worry," he said softly, earnestly, his eyes passing from face to face. "As far as we know Roxas was the only one awakened, right? And Roxas isn't our enemy."

"This 'Roxas' may not be a threat to us," Leon countered sternly, "but that doesn't mean he didn't have friends that he'd want to bring back."

"And those friends are the ones we have to worry about," Cloud added from the doorway, arms folded.

"No." Sora shook his head, lowering his eyes. "Roxas wouldn't bring harm to us. I know it."

"We believe you, Sora." Kairi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But it may not be Roxas's choice to make."

Sora looked up at her for a moment, taking in her words. It was true; there was a possibility that he had somehow been made a pawn of again. Sora had, after all, been attacked by Roxas himself during his quest to take down Xemnas. But he couldn't shake the feeling that all of this fretting would be for nothing.

"Whatever the case," the king broke the silence, standing from his chair, "we'll know more once we receive word from Donald and Goofy. They should be able to tell us just who from Organization XIII has returned and whether or not we need to take preemptory measures." He cast his attention to the three Keyblade bearers, his demeanor returning to that of a king as he continued. "Sora. Riku. Kairi. I want you to drop into some of the nearby worlds and check if they too have suffered any recent Nobody invasions. If so, help them out, lock the world's Keyholes, I'm sure you know the drill by now."

Sora and Kairi exchanged glances while Riku spoke.

"What will you do, Your Majesty?"

"I'm going to catch up with Donald and Goofy at the Mysterious Tower and meet with Master Yen Sid," he responded, forcing a half smile. "I have a feeling he knows much more about Nobodies than we could have ever imagined."

* * *

"You know, I'm feeling a little left out."

Roxas blinked out of his trance at the sound of Namine's voice echoing through the empty room. Turning away from the window, he found her dressed in the same old Organization XIII cloak that Miki required each of them to wear. He shot her a confused frown.

"What do you mean?" he asked, perplexed. "You're as much a part of the group as I am. You're even dressed like us now. And besides, weren't you the first one Miki woke up?"

Namine brought a hand to her mouth and giggled. She cast her gaze out the window as she stepped slowly across the room to stand beside him.

"That's not what I mean," she clarified in her soft voice. "I was talking about how you and Axel have adopted scrambled versions of your old names with 'X's added to them. Your new names marked you as a member of the organization, right? And they set you apart from the somebody you used to be."

"When you say it like that, I'm not sure I like the idea," Roxas muttered, turning his gaze back out the window.

"Oh, no, I think it's a wonderful idea," Namine countered lightly, and another giggle escaped her lips. "Names have a strong power, you know? Changing your name is the best way to discover your own identity."

"What's your point?"

"I want a name with an 'X,' too."

Roxas turned and met her blue eyes. Was she serious? Why would she want to be associated with that horrible organization of killers and schemers in any way? But as he stared into her eyes, he could see her earnestness. And there was something else there that he couldn't quite place... His heart gave an uncomfortable jolt and he looked away, bringing a hand to his mouth to help hide the blush that was starting to redden his cheeks.

"Um, well, you can have an 'X' name if you want one," he coughed, determined not to meet her eyes again until he'd recovered from... whatever that was.

"Can you help me choose one? I've been scrambling the letters of my name..."

Namine reached into the pocket of her cloak and withdrew a crumpled piece of notepaper onto which she'd been scribbling. She held it out for Roxas and he took it with a hesitant glance.

"Manexni?" he read, amused. A smile crept over his face as he continued down the list. "Inexman? Really?"

"I know some of them are awful," Namine whined, her porcelain features shifting into a pout. "Don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry." Roxas glanced up at her face, and again his heart jolted. He looked back at the list hurriedly. "Um, I like Amennix. And Xennami."

"Really?" She got on her toes to peer over the top of the list, and Roxas pointed out the names he'd read. Namine looked up at him and smiled widely. "Maybe I'll go with Xennami, then. What do you think?"

"I think it's a beautiful name," Roxas assured her, smiling back at her. He wasn't going to tell her that he liked Namine better, however. If she wanted a new name, he wasn't going to stop her from getting one.

"I was wondering where you two went."

Axel strode into the room, his hands in his pockets. Namine gave Roxas another excited glance before dancing over to the redhead.

"My name is Xennami from now on, okay? I'm a member of this group and we're searching for our hearts!"

As she stuck out her chin defiantly, Axel leaned back his head and laughed. Soon both the blonds had joined him, and the three lost themselves in giggles.

"What's going on in here?"

The trio slowed their laughter as Miki floated into the room, looking puzzled. Namine greeted her with the same excitement she'd shown to Axel.

"Roxas helped me pick out an 'X' name! I'm Xennami from now on, okay?"

"What a great idea!" Miki grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "Do I get one too?"

Namine thought for a moment, placing a finger on her chin. Inspiration lit her face and she grinned widely.

"How about Kimix?" she suggested.

"Kimix?" Axel repeated with a snort.

"I love it," Miki decided, nodding her head. "All right, you'll be Xennami and I'll be Kimix."

Namine clapped her hands in delight, and Axel rolled his eyes.

"New names are all well and good," he stated, shrugging exaggeratedly, "but isn't it about time we start on our mission or something? Staying here isn't exactly accomplishing anything."

"That's precisely why I've come to get you," Miki responded cheerily. "I've come up with a plan."

Stretching out her arm behind her, Miki summoned a portal of darkness to bring them to their first destination. She looked over her shoulder at the three Nobodies she'd resurrected, and she smiled.

"Follow me. We're heading to Destiny Islands."


End file.
